Philippine unemployment rate at 7% in first quarter

Unemployment rate in the Philippines has reached 7 per cent in the first quarter of 2014, representing 2.924 million unemployed people, lower than the unemployment rate of 7.5 per cent or 2.969 unemployed workers in the fourth quarter of 2013. It is also lower than the 7.6 per cent unemployment rate and 3 million unemployed a year ago, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said.

But NSO, however, clarified that its figures for first quarter of 2014 and last quarter of 2013 did not include data from Leyte and other provinces in central Philippines which were hit by Typhoon Haiyan, a four-grade storm, in November 2013.

NSO’s current figures also did not include data from Bohol and nearby central Philippine provinces which were hit by 7.2 magnitude earthquake in October 2013.

About six million people lost their work because of Typhoon Haiyan and 330,000 due to the 7.2 magnitude temblor which both occurred in central Philippines. Between 14 to 15 million people were affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

“Because of these two calamities in late 2013, unemployed people in the Philippines could reach almost 10 million,” said an NSO statistician who requested anonymity.

NSO’s figures for the first quarter of 2014 came close to the 2013 figure of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which said that the unemployment rate in the Philippines for that year was 7.3 per cent or 3.097 million people out of work.

In late 2013, various government agencies, non-government organisation, and other international funding institutions came together to mitigate the devastating effects of Typhoon Haiyan and the earthquake that damaged central Philippines.

Unemployment rate in the Philippines has reached 7 per cent in the first quarter of 2014, representing 2.924 million unemployed people, lower than the unemployment rate of 7.5 per cent or 2.969 unemployed workers in the fourth quarter of 2013. It is also lower than the 7.6 per cent unemployment rate and 3 million unemployed a year ago, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said.

But NSO, however, clarified that its figures for first quarter of 2014 and last quarter of 2013 did not include data from Leyte and other provinces in central Philippines which were hit by Typhoon Haiyan, a four-grade storm, in November 2013.

NSO’s current figures also did not include data from Bohol and nearby central Philippine provinces which were hit by 7.2 magnitude earthquake in October 2013.

About six million people lost their work because of Typhoon Haiyan and 330,000 due to the 7.2 magnitude temblor which both occurred in central Philippines. Between 14 to 15 million people were affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

“Because of these two calamities in late 2013, unemployed people in the Philippines could reach almost 10 million,” said an NSO statistician who requested anonymity.

NSO’s figures for the first quarter of 2014 came close to the 2013 figure of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which said that the unemployment rate in the Philippines for that year was 7.3 per cent or 3.097 million people out of work.

In late 2013, various government agencies, non-government organisation, and other international funding institutions came together to mitigate the devastating effects of Typhoon Haiyan and the earthquake that damaged central Philippines.